Audit Committee Public Hearings - Probity and ethics inquiry kicks off, plus BAE Systems on Hunter Class Frigates and Services Australia Procurement

PUBLIC hearings will be held this Friday, September 8, by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA).

It will include an appearance by the CEO of BAE Systems Australia regarding the $46 billion Hunter Class Frigates project, as part of the inquiry into Defence Major Projects Reports and Procurement of Hunter Class Frigates.

It will also be the first public hearings for its Inquiry into probity and ethics in the Australian public sector, examining potential systemic factors contributing to poor ethical behaviour.

It will also hear from Services Australia’s CEO regarding Infosys’ Entitlement Calculator Engine project as part of the Procurement at Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency Inquiry.

The first public hearing in the probity and ethics inquiry will include:

• a roundtable with Australia’s financial regulators—the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, and Australian Securities and Investments Commission
• the Department of Health and Aged Care (Health) on the Community Health and Hospitals Program
• the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) on ‘Artbank’.

Committee Chair Julian Hill MP said," While the three financial regulators received generally positive reviews following audits by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), the reports regarding the Community Health and Hospitals and Artbank programs were very concerning.

“Serious shortcomings were found by the ANAO in Health’s administration of the Community Health and Hospitals Program, and in DITRDCA’s administration of the Artbank program. Light must be shone on failings such as these so we can strengthen government integrity and accountability.

“The committee is very keen to hear directly from BAE Systems Australia regarding the procurement and progress of the $46 billion Hunter Class Frigate program.

“Services Australia will have an opportunity to respond to evidence provided by Infosys and explain why the $191 million Entitlement Calculator Engine commissioned in 2019 was written off."

Public hearing details

Date: Friday 8 September 2023
Time: 9am – 4pm
Venue: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website.

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